Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry charged for verbally abusing referee during loss to United

Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry has been charged with using abusive
and/or insulting words towards a match official following Sunday's derby
clash with Manchester United, the Football Association has announced.

Called to account: Manchester City's Gareth Barry has been charged with abusing referee Mark ClattenburgPhoto: AP

The incident happened after full time when the players left the pitch with Barry understood to have been angry with the official's decision to award Robin van Persie a free kick which the Dutchman duly converted to give United a 3-2 win.

Barry was charged with aiming abuse at the fourth official.

A statement released by the FA read: "The charge is for a breach of the FA Rule E3 in that he used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official following the Manchester City versus Manchester United game on Sunday 9 December 2012.

"Barry has until 4pm Thursday 13 December 2012 to respond to the charge."

If he accepts the charge he will receive a one match ban – if he denies the charge and is found guilty he will be banned for two matches.

Barry's charge is the latest episode in the fall-out from a controversial encounter which saw United score an added-time winner after their 2-0 lead had been pegged back in the second half.

United defender Rio Ferdinand was hit with a coin as he celebrated his side's late goal and a fan had to be restrained by City goalkeeper Joe Hart after encroaching onto the pitch.

City have confirmed Matthew Stott, 21, has had his season ticket removed for the rest of the season and faces a lifetime ban if found guilty in court of a charge of pitch encroachment.

In a statement released by his solicitors Stott, a landscape gardener from Knutsford, said: "I would like to apologise to all those affected by my actions, particularly Mr Ferdinand and the other players.

"I am extremely ashamed of my actions. I have let myself down, my family down, my fellow fans down and Manchester City Football Club.

"I intend to write personally to Mr Ferdinand to express my extreme regret and apologies and also apologise to Manchester United and their fans."

Stott is now facing a possible banning order but his solicitor said he had never been in trouble before and was not the "stereotypical drunken football fan".

Police also charged eight other people, including for a racially aggravated public order offence, pitch encroachment, breach of football banning orders and other public offences.

Football Association chairman David Bernstein described the incidents as "deplorable".

"To see Rio Ferdinand with blood on his face is absolutely terrible," he told Sky Sports News. "I think it's disturbing that we're seeing a recurrence of these types of incidents.

"It's very unacceptable and has to be dealt with severely... in the strongest way we can.

"To my mind it's for the FA, the whole game of football and the authorities to work together to deal with this most severe matter."